Hinge.



PATENTED FEB. s, 1903 f'R. s; BOWEN.

HINGE.

APPLIOATIOH I ILnn mm; 4, 1900.

H0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES ROBERT S. BOWEN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO CHIOKER- ING 8r. SONS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,

A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

HINGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 719,640, dated February 3, 1903.

Application filed June 4,1900. Serial No. 18,975. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, ROBERT S. BOWEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Securing Devices for Piano Fall-Boards, of which the following isa specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

IO Ordinarily fall boards of pianos which serve to close the front of the case and cover the bank of keys when the instrument is not in use are secured in position by means of hinges of common construction, one member of the hinge being secured to the end of the fall and the other member to the rear portion of the adjacent key-block. Two hinges thus located are employed, one at each end of the fall, as will be clear.

It frequently becomes necessary in tuning the piano or repairing it to remove the fallboard, and to accomplish this it is now necessary, so far as known to me, to remove the key-strip at the front of the keys, remove the securing devices which hold the key-blocks in place, and then remove the fall and keyblocks, which, as above stated, are hinged together. This operation not only requires time, but it frequently results in the defacement or scratching of the piano-frame, since slight carelessness on the part of the workmen in removing and replacing the above parts will result in the scratching or mar-ring of the instrument.

My invention has for its object to provide a simple and effective means for securing the fall-board of a piano in position, while at the same time permitting it to be readily removed without removing any of the adjacent parts.

In the following description, in which reference is made to the accompanying drawings, I have fully set forth myinvention, and in the claims at the close of this specification I have pointed out and clearly defined the novel features thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a View, partly in elevation and partly in section, of the upper front portion of a piano embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a front view of the hinge 5o detached. Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively a plan and end View of one member of the hinge.

Figs. 5 .and 6 are respectively a side view and plan view of the other member of the hinge. Fig. 7 is a view of the hinge pivot or pin detached. Fig. 8 is a view of part of one of the hinge members broken away and showing a modification hereinafter described.

Referring to the drawings, A represents portions of the piano-frame.

B is the key-strip.

O is a key-block.

D represents a piano-key.

E is the front portion of a piano-fall of common construction, and F is the rear portion thereof.

As will be clear, when the piano is in use the front portion E of the fall is thrown back on the hinge 1, and the rear portion F is then swung upwardly and backwardly until the face 2 of the part F assumes a substantially vertical position. In this Way the piano is opened, exposing the keyboard.

The above parts are of well-known construction, and I do not consider a more detailed description necessary.

In embodying my invention in a piano I employ the construction which I will now describe, it comprising a plate 3, (see Fig. 3,) which is adapted to be secured to the end of the part F of the fall by screws or other suitable securing means. The holes 4 4, Fig. 3, in said plate are intended to receive securingscrews. The plate 3 is preferably formed, as shown Fig. 3, with a downwardly and rearwardly projecting portion or lug 5. A slot or recessed bearing 6 is formed in the said lug or projection, the said slot or bearing constituting an open seat to receive the pivot-pin 7. (See Fig. 7.) The other member of the hinge device is shown in Figs. 5 and 6, and comprises a plate 8, having screw-holes 9 9 therein, by means of which it may be firmly secured by screws 10 to the rear face of thekeyblock 0. (See Fig. 1.) At the upper end of the plate 8 I provide'a boss or projection 11, having a cylindrical hole 12 therein to form a bearing for the pivot-pin. The said pivotpin is formed to fit the open seat 6 and hearing 12, as will be clear, Figs. 1 and 2. The

lower jaw or portion of the projection 5 on the plate 3 below the open seat 6 is provided with a threaded set-screw 13, the entering or inner end of which may be caused to bear on the pivot-pin 7 when the latter is in the seat 6. When the set-screw 13 is set down upon the pivot-pin '7, it serves to clamp the pin-7 rigidly in the seat 6. As the pin 7 is loose in the hole 12 in the other member of the hinge device, the said hinge members 3 and 8 may be moved or swung relatively to each other on the pin 7 when the latter is rigidly secured in the seat 6 of the hinge member 3. The pivot-pin 7 is preferably headed at one end, as shown, Fig. 7, in order that it may be less easily displaced. To remove a fall which is secured in position by the aid of my device, it is only necessary to loosen the setscrew 13 at each end of the said fall, when the fall may be moved upwardly and forwardly, the pivot-pin 7 being free to be withdrawn from its open seat 6. To replace the fall, it is only necessary to replace the open seats 6 in the plates 3 at the opposite ends of the fall on the respective pivot-pins and set down the set-screws 13. In practice the parts of this hinge device are almost hidden from view by the adjacent portions of the fall and keyblocks, the head of the set-screw 13 and a small portion of the adjacent bearing being all that is visible.

In Fig. 8 I have shown a modified form of pivot-pin and bearing therefor. The pin is designated 15 in said figure and is provided with an annular groove 16 near one end thereof, which when the pin isin position, as shown in said Fig. 8, lies within the bearing in the boss 17. The said boss 17 corresponds with the boss 11 shown in Figs. 5 and 6. A securing-pin 18 is set in the boss 17, the inner end of said pin projecting into the annular groove 16 and serving to prevent the pin 15 from lateral displacement. By this construction the pivot-pin is more perfectly prevented from displacement, while a projecting head on the pin is avoided.

I claim as my invention 1. Means for removably attaching fallboards of pianos, comprising a hinge member adapted to be removably secured to a fixed part of the piano and provided with a pivotbearing, a pivot-pin removably mounted in said bearing, a second hinge member adapted to be secured to the fall-board of the piano and having an open seat to engage the said pivot-pin, and means for locking said pivotpin detachably in place Within said open seat.

2. The improved hinge comprising the removable hinge member having the bearing, the hinge member having the open seat, the pivot-pin fitting and turning in said bearing and passing transversely into and out of the said open seat as one hinge member is adj usted relatively to the other, means to retain the pivot-pin in the said bearing, and the locking-screw by which the said pivot-pin is detachably secured to the seat after the parts have been assembled, substantially as described.

3. Means for removably attaching fallboards of pianos, comprising a hinge member adapted to be removably secured to the keyblock of the piano and provided with aclosed pivot-bearing, a headed pivot-pin'removably mounted in said bearing,a second hinge member adapted to be secured to the fall-board of the piano and provided with a rearwardly and downwardly extending open seat to engage the said pivot-pin, and means for looking said pivot-pin detachably in place within said open seat.

4. The improved hinge comprising the hinge member having the open seat, the hinge member having the bearing, the pivot-pin fitting the said bearing, having the headed end to retain it within the said bearing, and passing transversely into and out of the said open seat as one hinge member is adjusted relatively to the other, and the locking-screw by which the said pivot-pin is detachably secured to the seat after the parts have been assembled, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT s. BOWEN.

Witnesses:

CHAS. F. RANDALL, WILLIAM A. COPELAND. 

